Esther 7:5

5 And the king said, Who this that has dared to do this thing?

Esther 7:5 Meaning and Commentary

Esther 7:5

Then the King Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the
queen
The words in the original text lie thus, "and the King Ahasuerus said, and he said to Esther the queen"; which doubling of the word does not signify, as Jarchi suggests, that before he spoke to her by a messenger, or middle person, but, now he knew she was of a royal family, he spoke to her himself; but it is expressive of the ruffle of his mind, and the wrath and fury he was in, that he said it again and again, with a stern countenance and great vehemence of speech:

who is he? and where is he?
who is the man? and where does he live?

that durst presume in his heart to do so;
that has boldness, impudence, and courage enough to perpetrate so vile an action: or "that has filled his heart" ^F9; the devil no doubt filled his heart to do it, see ( Acts 5:3 ) , but the king had either forgot the decree he had granted, and the countenance he had given him to execute it; or, if he remembered it, he was now enraged that he should be drawn in to such an action by him; and perhaps till now was ignorant of Esther's descent, and knew not that she would be involved in the decree.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F9 (wbl walm rva) "qui replevit cor suum", Drusius; "implevit", De Dieu.

Esther 7:5 In-Context

3 And she answered and said, If I have found favour in the sight of the king, let life be granted to my petition, and my people to my request.

4 For both I and my people are sold for destruction, and pillage, and slavery; we and our children for bondmen and bondwomen: and I consented not to it, for the not worthy of the king's palace.

5 And the king said, Who this that has dared to do this thing?

6 And Esther said, the adversary Aman, this wicked man. Then Aman was troubled before the king and the queen.

7 And the king rose up from the banquet to go into the garden: and Aman began to intreat the queen; for he saw that he was in an evil case.